MONTREAL – The atrium named after Habs star P.K. Subban was packed with people earlier this week waiting their turn to meet him and get a #76 Winter Classic Canadiens jersey signed.
Attendees purchased the jerseys online before the event for $240, with all proceeds going directly to the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Over 2,500 jerseys were sold and Foundation President Marie Josee Gariepy said that would mean hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Children’s Hospital.
The long, snaking line in the atrium erupted in cheers and chants when Subban made his entrance.
“I’m happy that I’m able to be here today with my family and friends to be able to support the hospital again,” he told reporters before the signing began.
Born in Toronto, Subban’s father is from Jamaica and his mother is from Montserrat. Since being drafted by the Canadiens in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, he has made an indelible mark in hockey as a role model and in the community for his work off the ice.
Subban also took time to personally deliver a handful of jerseys to patients admitted to the hospital last Sunday.
“He’s a very good person. And helping each kid in the hospital is very good and nice of him,” said patient Christina Maria Dangelas after receiving her signed jersey and posing for a photo with Subban.
“He couldn’t be doing a more special thing for the children,” said her mother. “He was always a star in our eyes but now he’s just a double star, he’s just our number one.”
All proceeds from the jerseys go toward helping families who have been financially burdened by a child’s illness.
This was the first major event for Subban at the Children’s Hospital, after announcing a seven-year commitment to help the hospital raise $10 million.
Subban also announced he’s partnering with Montreal-born Boston Bruins legend Ray Bourque for a charity raffle for the Winter Classic, the Jan. 1 outdoor game that will see the Bruins and Canadiens play at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. Bourque spoke with reporters via Skype on Subban’s phone.